ENGL& 101 –
English Comp I
FALL QUARTER 2013
Instructor: Laura
Burns
E-mail: laura.burns@bellevuecollege.edu (M-F)
Office: R230M
Phone: (425) 564-2373
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 10:30 –
11:20. Tuesday and Thursday at 12:30-1:20. Most Fridays I work at home. We can
certainly set up an appointment outside of these times, and you’ll find me
frequently online, checking in around 7am, again at noon, and then early
evening (between 5 and 6pm).
Required Texts:
1.
Campbell, Joseph. Pathways to Bliss.
ISBN: 9781577314714
2.
Marius, Richard. Custom version of A Writer's Companion. 4th edition. ISBN #:9781121780842. The original book is
out of print. Our bookstore is
offering a special version printed here on campus, for a much better price than
we could offer through the publisher. You’ll need to order this through the BC
bookstore. Follow this link:
http://bellevue.verbacompare.com/comparison?id=F13__ENGL__101%26__1132
The bookstore does also offer some last copies
of the original print version. You can purchase that one if you want, but it's
more expensive.
3. Moaveni, Azadeh, Lipstick Jihad. ISBN: 9781586481933
4. Required Video: By the end of the 3rd week
of the quarter, you'll need access to ONE of the following movies: Invictus (2009,
Dir. Clint Eastwood), A
Separation (2011, Dir. Asqhar Farhadi), or Hunger
Games (2012 Dir. Gary Ross).
These movies are available through the county
library, Netflix or On Demand. Amazon Instant Video will also stream to your
computer for a very small fee. You might also find some of these videos in
grocery stores that stock DVDs.
CONTENTS:
• Introductory Remarks
• Student Responsibilities
• My Expectations
• Class Requirements
• How do we communicate with each other?
In an additional document in the Start Here
module, please read:
• Student Procedures and Expectations, Arts
and Humanities Division
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
English 101 is an online-only class, meaning
it meets only in Canvas and does not hold in-person class sessions. You'll need
to devote many hours per week, checking in frequently, to be successful. This
on-line course is NOT a correspondence course, completed on your own timetable
in isolation. You must participate in this course in an ongoing manner to
successfully fulfill the requirements of the course. Be prepared to spend some
time learning this new platform for online learning at BC.
This online course will require you to have
some particular attributes and skills:
• college level reading and comprehension
skills,
• goodself-motivation,
• goodproblem
solving skills,
• theability to
communicate clearly in writing,
• theability to
learn well in a totally visual medium,
• theability to
follow written directions, and
• the ability to use your computer to complete
various tasks, including (but not limited to) uploading and downloading files
as well as attaching files to e-mail messages and in the assignment dropbox as required, and
• the ability to ask questions as needed.
Many students mistakenly believe that writing
is a talent, gifted to everyone else. But writing is not a single task,
accomplished in isolation. Writing is a skill, developed with practice in
reading texts, analyzing texts, thinking through the texts and then lastly,
writing these ideas down. Anyone with enough determination and effort can learn
to communicate effectively in writing. This class is designed to use writing,
in the form of an academic college essay, to improve your written communication
skills as well as your critical reading and thinking skills. Some students may
already have a measure of these skills; some students may be better at some skills
and feel less comfortable with the others. Whatever your abilities before now,
I ask you to approach the class with compassion and tolerance for each other.
If you signed up for this course thinking that
it would have less work than a course in the classroom, you were mistaken. Any
online course has more writing work than a class in the classroom as all of our
communication must be written. Please be advised that the workload may be very
difficult for you if work and/or family demands do not allow you a minimum of
two to three uninterrupted hours every weekday to work on the assignments for
this class. I have tried to focus and space assignments to facilitate as many
learning styles as possible, but you may need to schedule extra time,
especially around paper writing/editing time, depending on your ability to read
or write.
This English 101 course will focus on the
following outcomes:
·
Demonstrate various
invention practices: brainstorming, free writing; outlining, journaling
·
Demonstrate ability to
write in various modes: personal narrative, expository, analytical,
descriptive, argument
·
Demonstrate the phases
of writing: draft, revision, final copy
·
Explore sources of
writing: reading, thinking, analyzing, discussion
·
Create a thesis
statement that suggests the focus of the paper; does not point out the obvious,
and is written as a sentence.
·
Develop and include
enough details and examples to support the identified thesis and reinforce
focus
·
Demonstrate various
patterns of organization and use the organization pattern that suits your
identified purpose and audience.
·
Illustrate the concept
of Audience in your writing.
·
Artfully combine
Audience, Purpose, and Tone in compositions written in and outside of class
·
Write in a vocabulary
appropriate to your subject and identified audience.
·
Begin and conclude a
paper effectively.
·
Show effective control
of mechanics: paragraphing, punctuation, spelling.
·
Differentiate between
key ideas and supporting details in reading
·
Locate the thesis
statement in reading assignments
·
Practice good group
skills: how to give useful feedback, and how to make use of feedback you
receive
·
Develop
self-assessment skills
Student
Responsibilities
Because of the special method of course
delivery, several requirements must be met.
• In order to use our class website
effectively, you MUST complete the Canvas Student Orientation and be aware of
the ideal web browsers to use and the basic tools. Follow the link in the Start
Here! module to view the videos.
Also click on the “How to Start Classes in
Canvas” link in the "Start Here" module to explore browser
requirements and other general questions you might have.
• Always keep me informed if you have problems
with the technology, and I will find help for you. You should contact the
helpdesk through this link,
and either talk to them over the phone and/or submit a ticket. You may also
contact the Distance Education office directly by email or phone:
landerso@belleveucollege.edu or 425-564-2438. They can be extremely helpful
with technology! However, I expect that you bring some expertise with you to
help in solving problems that arise. Ultimately, your computer and internet
services are your responsibility. If you are signed up for the online section
and you have computer problems, you may use the computer labs on the BCC campus
if you have an emergency.
My Expectations
As you know, every teacher has expectations.
These are mine.
1. I expect that you signed up for this course
because you want to learn to read, think, and write critically. We call that
formal academic writing. Therefore, I expect that you will complete the work I
have created to teach you these skills.
2. I expect that you have come to this class
with a working usage of modern English grammar as English 101 does not teach
grammar. I may suggest additional non-graded work for students who struggle
with grammar. I set aside a segment of our website to provide a grammar and
mechanics help area, complete with exercises; use it if you have these
problems. I encourage you to schedule an appointment in my office or utilize
the Writing lab's virtual tutor or go to D204 (Writing Lab) on campus for help
with grammar problems. All papers with major grammatical errors lose points in
this class. See the Major Grammar Errors page in the Mechanics area under the
Resources and Tool link for help in identifying these errors.
3. I expect that you will use standard English
for all your communications (i.e., email, assignments, discussions, etc.) in
this class. Please no texting abbreviations or unusual capitalization (or
lack thereof). Multiple sentences
need to be arranged in paragraphs with correct punctuation. Disjointed
sentences that fail to use standard English will receive a failing or very low
grade. That said, I must confess to occasionally using a smiley face when I'm
offering constructive criticism (always kindly meant, I assure you). Other than
that, let's avoid emoticons and similar texting "codes."
4. I expect that you will participate in ALL class activities, including peer reviews,
Marius assignments, and literature discussions. All of your papers must go
through the Peer Review process in order for them to be accepted by me. If
your paper is not submitted into your peer review group, I will not accept it
for grading or comments. It also then will not be accepted in your portfolio,
as you are not demonstrating the “phases of writing,” one of the major outcomes
of English 101. Also, you must complete peer reviews for other students, or
your Critical Summaries will not be accepted. Thus failure to
participate in these areas may cause you to fail the course, even if your other
written work is passing.
5. I expect that you'll keep track of due
dates, reading assignments and class activities using the CALENDAR, which you'll
find on the top toolbar of the course. Checking this calendar and the announcements on the homepage
(also found in“Announcements”) frequently will be
vital to your success in the class.
6. I expect that the total of all formal papers
in the portfolio in this class will average C-(70) or better to move to English
201, 270, 271 or 272. In addition, you must submit all formal papers on their
due dates during the quarter to move on.
7. I expect that you will take care to back up
your papers and other assignments on more than one disk and/or store them on
your hard drive AND a disk. It is your responsibility to keep track of this
material--not mine. If some computer catastrophe should occur, you will still
be responsible for producing the work by the due date in order to get a grade.
Be careful--save and back your work up regularly!
8. I expect that you will show respect to
everyone by responding to e-mail and discussion postings in a way that is not
judgmental, degrading, or derogatory. Even though we may disagree with the
interpretations of others, please use some self-restraint and compassion in
responding to others' ideas. Logical and questioning responses are encouraged.
Choose your words and the tone of your message with utmost care. I also expect
tolerance for others' abilities and learning styles.
9. I expect each final draft will be submitted
to the assignments link provided in each module. These submissions must be made
by the date shown on the class calendar. Papers submitted after that date will
lose 5 points per 24 hour period that they are late. I will not accept papers
more than 3 days (72 hours) late. Don't ask. To avoid losing points for late
work, do not wait until the last minute to submit your work. Start early.
Sometimes the technology takes longer than you think.
10. I expect honesty. I expect that you will
neither do work for others nor use work done by others. Cheating and/or
plagiarizing will not be tolerated. Plagiarizing is cheating, as is copying
answers on a test, glancing at nearby test papers, swapping papers, buying
papers, using ideas from other sources without proper documentation, writing
papers for others, or having them written for you. BCC utilizes a plagiarism
detection software, and I use it for random spots checks. Plus, if I even
remotely suspect your paper sounds plagiarized, I will submit it to this site.
If you cheat or plagiarize, the following actions will be taken:
• you will receive a grade of "0" on
the work (period).
• A report of the incident will be filed in
the Dean of Students' Office. This report may become part of your permanent
record or the Dean may choose to pursue further disciplinary action.
12. Personal conferences on your paper can be
held in my office if you can/want to come to the campus and we can work out a
mutually convenient time; otherwise, e-mail or local phone conferences can be
held. If you can’t meet me during my office hours, please contact me first to
set up an appointment BEFORE coming to the campus.
CLASS REQUIREMENTS
Formal Papers: You will write 3 formal academic papers (minimum 800-1000
words) in this class, which are then revised in a final portfolio. The process
for writing, revising and submitting work is on a tight timeline. Even though I
accept late papers (up to 3 days late), failure to meet the deadlines will put
you at a disadvantage. We will follow this process for all papers:
1.
You will compose an
original draft on your computer, then revise it yourself to get rid of obvious
errors.
2.
You will POST this original, self-revised draft of each
paper to the appropriate "rough draft" assignment link for the
appropriate peer review by the date on the calendar. This draft MUST be copied/pasted into the submission box. If you expect to get
help on your papers, you must post them early in the peer review period. Papers posted late
in the review process may get overlooked and will lose points.
3.
While you wait for
comments on your paper, you will give peer comments on two other classmates'
papers that will be assigned to you. The peer review process is described in
detail under Resources module/Peer Review Instructions.
4.
After giving comments,
collect your comments and revise your paper. Then, using the editing tool
provided under Resources, thoroughly edit your paper before submitting it to me
by the date and time listed on the calendar. Please take the time to proofread
your work.
5.
Directions for
submitting your final draft to me are available in the CANVAS tutorial under
“How to Submit Assignments to CANVAS.” During the quarter, your final draft
receives a minor grade and is returned to you for further revision.
6.
At the end of the
quarter, all three papers are revised and peer reviewed again, and submitted to
me in a e-portfolio for final evaluation. It is at this stage that your final
papers receive a significant point grade.
7.
Your papers turned in
to me will be graded based on the standards posted under the Grading Standards
link (see Resources and the first paper module, the Self-Analysis).
8.
I will read and grade
papers beginning on the due date. I will provide detailed written comments on
the final drafts of Papers 1, 2 and 3. To process a complete set of papers in
this manner usually takes about 6 working days. The final portfolio will
receive a holistic, overall grade based on the quality of all three papers.
9.
You MUST turn
in and pass all three papers during the quarter, which means you must post your
drafts in peer review as well as submit them to me. Going through this
writing process is required in order for me to accept and grade your
portfolio. You must also submit all three in revised form in your portfolio.
Additionally, your portfolio must earn a C- or better in order to pass this
class. Points from critical summaries and discussions are important, but if
your portfolio is not a C- or better, you will not pass the class. If you fail
to turn in one paper, your best course of action is to drop the class.
Posting rough draft to peer review: 2 points
each rough draft (2 in portfolio peer review) x 4 peer review sessions = 8 points
total.
Paper points available during the quarter --
50 points each paper x 3 papers turned in to me = 150 points total
Total portfolio points available--150 points
per revised version of papers = 450 points total
Peer Review/Critical Summaries: Much of what you will learn about writing in
this course will come from participating in a peer review of others' papers. Do
not fail to participate in this area of the course. See the Peer Instructions
link located under Resources & Tools/How To? for instructions on how to
complete this critical work! In general, to participate successfully in peer
review, you will complete these tasks:
(1) You will analyze two other students'
papers using a Peer review tool that is posted in the specific paper module.
You MUST use the assessment tool that I have provided in order to earn full
credit for comments on student papers. After you have analyzed and evaluated
each student paper, copy-and-paste your evaluation of each paper as a
REPLY to the paper you reviewed in the peer review discussion for your group.
This work must be completed by the peer review closing time. I have set aside
class days for this work; do not fail to do it. If you fail to meet these
deadlines, you will NOT receive the minor points for the peer review assignment,
but more importantly, you can't turn in the Critical Summaries based on your
peer reviews. There are a small amount of points given for your peer reviews
and rough draft posted, but also remember your peer reviews are tied to the
Critical Summaries, which are worth far more points.
(2) After posting your evaluative comments to
each student whose paper you reviewed, you will write (off-line) a Critical
Summary of your remarks for each student paper that you reviewed. This summary
should be unified and coherent piece of writing with specific evidence from the
student paper and the Marius text and Grading Standards. Be sure to refer to
the student writer by name in your summary. Another document in our first paper
module explains this assignment in depth and provides a sample.
(3) Last, you will submit both summaries (in one document) as an attachment
in the assignment link for that critical summary. Your original peer review
will follow each summary. I will check to be sure that you are posting feedback
to the student as well as submitting the summary to me; however, I grade from
the document you send to me. Summaries must be thorough; I expect around 350
words per paper summarized as a minimum--"A" grade summaries will
have more words. More information on the critical summary assignment is posted
under the the Self-Analysis module and in Resources.
(4)You will be required to write and submit
two critical summaries based on your peer reviews for Papers 1, 2, 3 and the
portfolio peer review. For completing this task per my directions, you will receive 50 points per Critical
Summary assignment (25 points for each summary). Summaries must submitted to me by the due date posted on the calendar
or they will receive ZERO points. I will not accept late summaries; please
don't ask.
Note* - Every quarter a few students complain about
the critical summary assignments. BC's English department guidelines recommend
101 instructors to have student produce around 6000 words of original, revised
and edited writing over the quarter. Since you will write only 3 original
papers of 800-1000 words per essay, the critical summary assignment allows me
to meet the departmental guidelines. Furthermore, you are spared reading
another book and writing another formal paper.
2 peer reviews completed per paper: 2 points
per peer review session (consisting of 2 reviews) x 4 peer review sessions = 8
points total
Critical Summaries are 50 points each x 4 =
200 points total
Discussions: I have created an individual forum in the
discussion area for weekly discussions on the written texts and the films.
Instructions and requirements for participating in discussions are posted in
the Self-Analysis module area as well as under the Resources module. I do my
best to participate in the discussion; however, I cannot possibly respond to
every comment or answer.
Discussions are 48 points each x 3 = 144
points total
Marius Homework
Assignments: There are three
Marius homework assignments, available in “Assignments” and due within each
paper module. These are shorter writing assignments that are usually a few
paragraphs long, and ask you to analyze a student paper. Marius assignments 27
points X 3 assignments = 81 points total
Self-Assessments: There are opening and closing
self-assessments that are important for you to complete, to reflect on your
progress with your writing skills. You will find them in “Quizzes.” Complete
these assessments using the assessment tool. They are both worth 25 points x 2
= 50 points total.
Opening Day
Assignment: this brief opening assignment shows me that you
can use basic Canvas tools and that you’re navigating the course site well.
It’s worth 5 points.
Total points for the
course = 1096 points
* NOTE: To figure out your
grade at any time, simply divide the total points you have earned by the total
points you have submitted to that point. I use standard percentage markings:
95-100% = A
90-94% = A-
87-89% = B+
84-86% = B
80-83% = B-
77-79% = C+
74-76% = C
70-73% = C-
65-69% = D+
55-65% = D
51-54 = D-
Below 51% = F
How do we communicate
with each other?
In the course navigation list on the lefthand side of the homepage, you will find links to class
announcements, the class discussion area, a list of modules, assignments and
your gradebook. This course is arranged by modules,
which you can find by clicking on “modules.”All relevant links to specific discussions,
assignment descriptions and assignment submission areas are located in the
relevant module.
·
Announcements will be posted for you as needed throughout
the quarter. I use this tool almost daily to be in contact with you, so please read these announcements carefully
so that you will know of any important changes or issues in the class. I'd urge
you to make both Announcements and due dates part of your notifications to
email: do this by clicking on "settings" right next to the inbox. Then
click on "notifications" in the left-hand toolbar. There you'll see
where to insert your email address to receive daily updates. Here's a link in our Canvas
Guides to more visual instructions: http://guides.instructure.com/s/2204/m/8470/l/73162-how-do-i-set-my-notification-preferences.
·
An Inbox has
been provided for private e-mail communication between you and I or you and
other classmates. It is located in the Inbox on the top righthand
side of the homepage, right above the blue "Canvas" title. Since I
get between 40 and 50 e-mail messages every day at my various work addresses, I
will appreciate "URGENT" notices in the subject line, if you have a
real emergency. I check my class email morning, afternoon, and evening in order
to respond in a timely manner to all messages, whether or not they are urgent.
Please do not use e-mail to submit your work unless you have contacted me for
approval FIRST.
·
The discussion
area provides a place for synchronous discussions of course materials. These
topic areas will house your discussion about our literature and movie
assignments. Please follow the dates on the class calendar for posting
questions and for commenting. I have allowed time for you to do this work;
don't fail to do it before the deadlines posted on the class calendar.
·
The Grades link
will take you to the gradebook for this class. This
area will contain all of the grades for your work WHEN I have completed the
grading.
You are responsible for posting the discussion
messages into the correct area depending on its purpose. You must also handle
the postings, downloading messages you wish to keep to your home computer and
creating folders to store that information. Please do save any messages you
wish to keep.
BellevueCollege
URL: http:bc.instructure.com
Site Updated: 9/2013